


Colors

by Spooky66



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s03e23 Wetwired, F/M, colorblind, post ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooky66/pseuds/Spooky66
Summary: So what's up with Mulder being colorblind?





	Colors

**Author's Note:**

> So I have a million different prompts to do but instead I wrote this because it wouldn’t leave me alone. No beta and written quickly but I freaking love it. 
> 
> ps the way I have Mulder finding out about his colorblindness is actually how my dad found out he was colorblind. Just a fun little Claricetoid.

I found out I was colorblind at the age of 18 when I tried to runaway and join the air force. It was a stupid idea but I was pissed at my dad and wanted to get away. The thought that I was colorblind had never even entered my head until they told me I couldn’t join the air force because of it.  
The doctor told me most people who are colorblind could go their whole lives without even knowing but all of his platitudes didn’t make me less pissed that I had to find a new plan. The new plan was to get as far away as I could so I went to England.

Most days it’s not something I think about. It’s one of those random facts that I can use during some kind of teambuilding icebreaker or on a first date. I wasn’t sure they’d let me join the FBI but apparently the air force has higher standards.

When Scully began to break down and see things it didn’t occur to me that my colorblindness is what saved me until I was with the Gunmen. Scully was embarrassed about the whole thing but I wondered what I would have done in her place.  
After all Scully is the more levelheaded of the two of us so I probably would have gone even further into delusion.

X told me I’d ruined everything by not listening to his messages and spending my time trying to find Scully instead but I didn’t care.  
As I sat on her living room couch shoveling in Chinese takeout I watched her pick at her own food and felt no regrets. Losing Scully wasn’t an option at this point. I wasn’t going to analyze that just yet but I knew that I couldn’t bear to lose her. My heart clenched a little when she looked up and met my gaze.

“So why didn’t it affect you Mulder?” She asked and I realized that I’d never told her everything. I explained what the Gunmen found and told her that it was in fact my colorblindness that saved me.

“Huh.” She used her chopsticks to take a bite of a dumpling.  
She chewed for a moment before continuing, “I had an uncle who was colorblind.”

I smiled at her.

“He used to tell me and Missy that our hair was colored like a swamp. My dad said that to him our hair looked brownish green. I was so little and I didn’t understand that not everyone saw it that way so I went through a phase where I hated my hair. I begged my mom to let me dye it. I did dye it for a little while as an adult. I’m pretty sure I was more of a brownish color on our first case.”

I laughed and looked at her hair. The doctors had told me I was 15% red deficient and 40% green deficient so in theory I could see red better than others afflicted with colorblindness. To me Scully’s hair was colored somewhere between pennies and fire.  
I tucked a strand behind her ear.

“Does my hair look red to you?” She asked and looked down to her food instead of meeting my eyes.

I shrugged, “My red could be different than yours but to me your hair is like the sunset.”

Her cheeks grew slightly red and she looked away before clearing her throat a bit. I gave her some space, feeling her discomfort. I hadn’t meant to make her self-conscious but I loved seeing her slightly pink cheeks and little quirked smile that she was trying to hide.

Her red hair was like a homing beacon to me. It was warm and soft and when I stood close enough I could smell the vanilla from her shampoo. I had the sudden urge to bury my face in her hair but resisted and looked away to keep myself from crossing the line.

“So are you sick of TV?” I asked with a joking smile and grabbed for the remote.

Later I’d examine my complicated feelings for Scully and imagine running my hands through her auburn mane. For now though, I was content to sit next to her and watch Letterman.


End file.
